When J.D. Stier was a student at West High School, he had a flourishing career as a marijuana dealer, selling to his classmates and to UW-Madison students.

"The use of marijuana gets out of hand very quickly, " he said recently in an office at Northstar Counseling Center on the West Side, where he now works as a counselor.

Stier, 30, is introducing a new kind of therapy to troubled young people. This summer, he will lead a group of youths struggling with alcohol or drug abuse, eating disorders or mental illness -- or just plain lack of motivation -- on a 15-day trip to Nepal.

He calls the Beyond Boundaries program "adventure therapy, " which combines elements of traditional therapy with the wilderness boot camp approach.

Stier 's expertise with turning around the lives young people began a year after his 1996 graduation, when the Dane County Narcotics Task Force got a search warrant for his Downtown apartment, which turned up $10,000 and seven pounds of pot. He spent two years at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution, which he now describes as "the best two years of my life. I was mentally and physically healthy for the first time, and I read a ton. "

When he emerged from prison at 22, he started making up for lost time. He got a bachelor 's degree in philosophy from UW-Madison and became an alcohol and drug abuse counselor. He now gets his thrills from traveling around the world to developing countries, where he 's established partnerships with fair trade groups, as well as tackling sports such rock climbing, whitewater rafting and sky diving.

"You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than in 100 hours of (therapeutic) work, " he said. "Going to other places and seeing how other people live and how little they have shrinks the importance of your own dramas and personal history. "

Before young people are accepted into the group, Northstar counselors will meet with them to assess their stability. "Ideally, they 're right out of a treatment program, " Stier said.

Plans for Nepal

On this summer 's trip, eight "adventurers " will join eight members of the therapeutic team.

Stier just returned from Nepal after making all the arrangements for the trip, including hiring a native guide. The group will visit a Buddhist temple, see seven of the 10 tallest peaks in the world, hike, go whitewater rafting and visit a women 's co-op that turns yak wool into hats, mittens, jackets and scarves. The adventurers, between the ages of 16 and 25, will be encouraged to bring some of the merchandise back to Madison and sell it on behalf of the women.

Back in Madison, they 'll go climbing at Devil 's Lake and kayak on Madison 's lakes.

Maintain relationships

The cost is $9,300, which covers everything, including insurance that covers up to $25,000 for medical evacuations.

"A lot of families find ways to pay $30,000 for a 28-day stay at Hazelden (addiction treatment center) or other inpatient programs, " Stier said. "Other families send their kids to wilderness therapy in places like Wyoming, which are also very expensive. " He said that both strategies can produce life-transforming experiences, and develop intense relationships.

Stier said that until now, Madison youths who went to rehab or to wilderness rehab out West came back alone, and probably never saw the people who helped them again.

"Beyond Boundaries will make it possible for young people in Madison to keep relationships going, if that 's what they want, " he said. "With this approach, you get more bang for your buck. "

"We 're taking the best of inpatient treatment -- having mental health professionals with the kids 24/7 -- and the best of wilderness therapy, " Stier said. "They 'll experience nature and have physical challenges. Coping with perceived dangers gives people confidence. They realize they have the strength to solve problems, and to face their demons and fears.

"When they come home to Madison they 'll be able to brag that they 've been on an expedition to the other side of the world, and that they are international volunteers, " Stier said. "That 's instead of saying I 've been in inpatient rehab for 28 days. This is a great resume builder. "